Abthub de lancey middleton



(No Model.)

' A. DE LANCEY MIDDLETON.

RICE DRILL.

No. 300,883. PatentedJune 2 1, 1884.

' INVENTOR M% I BYQZML'WQk/W 442 M Mm e ATTORNEYS.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR DE LANOEY MIDDLETON, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

RlCE-DR| LL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,883, dated June 24,1884. Application filed February 12, 1884. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR DE LANOEYMIDDLETON, of Charleston, in the county of Charleston and State of SouthCarolina, have invented a new and Improved Rice-Drill, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in rice or other drills; and itconsists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts, as

hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed' out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved ricedrill, parts being broken outand others shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3is an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation of the feeding device.Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of theshoes.

In a frame, A, an axle or shaft, B, is j ournaled, on which are looselymounted two wheels, 0, a short distance from thesides of the frame. Thehub of one of the wheels is provided with a clutch-wheel, 0 adapted toengage with a clutch-collar, O, mounted on-the shaft B, in such a mannerthat it can slide on the same, but revolves with the said shaft or axle,the collar 0 being held to revolve in the forked inner end of a lever,D, pivoted on the frame A and projecting from the rear end of the same,which lever is acted on by a spring, D, which presses it in such amanner as to couple the clutch-collar O with the clutch-collar O on thehub of the wheel. Between the wheels 0 a seed-box, E, is arranged, whichis provided near each end of its bottom with a series of slots, on,which can be closed by a sliding cover, 6. Outside of each wheel aseed-box, -E, is arranged, which is also provided in its bottom withlongitudinal slots a, which can be covered by a slide, 1), and all theseed-boxes can be provided with covers. Below the slots a in eachseed-box a pocket, F, is provided, in which a toothed disk, G, revolves,which is mounted on the shaft B. Each pocket F is provided with anoutlet-aperture, F. In lugs projecting from the rear end of the frame Aa transverse shaft, H, is j ournaled, on which is fixedseries ofspring-arms J, which are curved upward.

and project downward and toward the front, and on the lower end of eacharm a shoe, K, is secured, the front edge of which is curved upward inthe same manner as a sleigh-runner, and from which shoe a tube, K,projects To the front end of each shoe a rod, L, is linked, which isprovided at its upper end with a longitudinal. eye, L, through which astaple, L on the under side of the front crossbar of the machine-framepasses. On each tube K of each shoe the lower end of a flexible tube, M,is held, the upper end of which is held on the corresponding pocket, F,of the seed-box, through which flexible tubes M the seed passes from theseed-boxes to the shoes. The shaft H is provided with a fixed arm, H,projecting toward the front, and to the free end of the said arm aconnecting-rod, N, is pivoted, the up per end of which is pivoted to theinner end of a lever, O, pivoted on a standard, 0, on the rear end ofthe frame. A spring locking lever, P, is pivoted on the lever O, and ispro- Vided at its inner end with a pin, Q, adapted to pass into one of aseries ,of apertures, B, arranged in a curved line on an upright plate.S, on the frame of the machine. The shaft H is-also provided at one endwith a rigid arm, T, which is adapted to swing up between the lever Dand the side piece of the frame A. The slides 6 closing the openings inthe bottoms of the seed-boxes can be opened more or less according tothe quantity of seed to be sowed. The seeds drop through the slots (1,are carried downward by the toothed disks G, drop through theapertures'F in the boxes F, through the flexible tubes M, through thetubes K, and then through the apertures inthe shoes K. If the outer endof the lever O is pressed downward, the inner end of the arm H will beswung upward, and thereby the shoes K will be raised from the ground,and at the same time the arm T is forced up between the side piece ofthe frame Aand the lever D, thereby pressing the outer end of the leverD inward and disengaging the clutch-collar G from the clutch O on thehub of the adjoining wheel 0. The clutch-collar will no longer berevolved,

and thus the shaft B will not be revolved, and

the disks G thereon will be stationary, and will notzcarry any more seedinto the tubes M. The rods L are provided with the longitudinal loopsLat their upper ends, to permit of raising the shoes K in the mannerdescribed. Asthe springs J would be bent out of shape in casetomatically at the same time that the shoes are lowered. By means of thelocking-lever P the shoes can be locked at any desired elevation. Asseed-boxes are arranged outside of the wheels, the seeds can be plantedalong the 0 necting the shoes with the seed-boxes, and rods L, securedto the front ends of the shoes and adapted to slide in keepers securedto the front cross-bar of the frame, substantiallyasshown and described.7

2. The combination, with the frame A, seedboXes E E, and theseed-dropping disks G, of the rock-shaft H, spring-arms J, shoes K,connected by flexible tubes Mto the seed-boxes, and provided withmetallic tubes K, rods L, secured to the front ends of the shoes andsliding in keepers secured to the front cross-bar of theframe,wedge-shaped arm T on the shaft H, the spring-pressed lever D, theclutch-collar C on the inner end of said lever, and a clutch, G on thehub of one of the wheels, substantially as described.-

3. In a seed-drill, the combination, with the frame A, of the seed-boxesE E, the shaft B, carrying the toothed disks G, the clutch-collar G,mounted to slide on and turn with the u shaft, the clutch-collar 0,formed on the hub of one of the wheels, the lever D, in the free end ofwhich the clutch-collar is held, the spring D, the shaft H, having therigid arm T, a lever for turning the shaft H, the springarms J, securedon the shaft H, the shoes K on the lower ends of the arms J, andflexible tubes connecting the seed-boxes with the shoes, substantiallyas herein shown and described.

A. DE LANCEY MIDDLETON.

\Vitnesses:

C. G. MEMMINGER, J r., E. R. MEM INGER.

